Ladd-Peebles Stadium: Mobile City Council wants update on alleged mismanagement

(Mobile Register file/Mike Kittrell)Mobile City Councilwoman Gina Gregory, seen here at a previous meeting, asked Mayor Sam Jones' office for an update on its efforts to get a handle on the management of Ladd-Peebles Stadium. The stadium is run by a semi-independent board, but is owned and heavily subsidized by the city.

MOBILE, Ala. -- Alleged mismanagement at Ladd-Peebles Stadium continues to draw attention from the City Council.

Councilwoman Gina Gregory asked at this morning's council meeting for an update on Mayor Sam Jones' strategy for dealing with management problems outlined in a recent independent accountant's report.

The stadium's manager, Paul Christopher, paid himself more than $40,000 in overtime in 2009 without board approval, according to the report. His assistant and bookkeeper also took overtime pay.

Both are salaried employees.

Christopher tendered his resignation, which is effective March 1, 2011, last week after a closed-door meeting of the board.

Jones' chief of staff, Al Stokes, told Gregory and the council that one of the city's auditors was looking over the independent accountant's report as well as an annual audit conducted by the board's accountant that had failed to turn up the overtime.

The city auditor's report should be finished by the end of the week, Stokes said.

Councilman John Williams has said that the board itself should be investigated.